Two waterfalls and a trip back in time along an old railway line.
This 20-minute return walk to the Falls is signposted along the Southern Scenic Route, approximately 18km south of Ōwaka. The walk to the falls is through regenerating Podocarp/Broadleaf forest. A wooden platform built into the bed of the stream provides a convenient place to view the 10m high Matai falls.
About 50m upstream the stream divides and drops over Horseshoe Falls which are worth the steep 5-minute climb to view them when the river is running high.
An additional walk along the route of The Catlins Railway line is accessed from the Matai Falls track. This is a return walk of up to an hour through forested cuttings and embankments of the old line. There are views, historic and natural history information as well as a convenient picnic table at the top end of the walk.
Matai Falls 30 minutes return. Rail Trail 1 hour return.
